Things you often Wonder

[Xela]

My folks see deer quite a lot over by where they live. When they are running full pelt across the road, they're going to cause some damage to your car!

Same as the badgers - built like a granite outhouse. 

[sidcow]

1 hour ago, Xela said:

My folks see deer quite a lot over by where they live. When they are running full pelt across the road, they're going to cause some damage to your car!

Same as the badgers - built like a granite outhouse. 

My friends live in Hall Green and their garden backs onto the railway track.  They frequently get deer in their back garden, they walk into the city down the railway tracks. 

[HanoiVillan]

11 hours ago, useless said:

Badgers can be quite dangerous, and can be a lot bigger than some realise, I saw a dead one displayed on the side of a road the size of a rottweiler, probably bigger to be honest, only difference was that it had short legs. I've heard that if they bite you they don't let go until they hear a bone snap, so the trick if one of them gets a hold of you is to snap a branch to get them to let go.

I've heard this exact claim before as well, but I wonder whether it is true or a myth.

[useless]

It's probably false, as I can't think why a badger would evolve to have such a function, unless it's some sort of defense left over from the days when they shared the land with predators such as wolves and bears, but even that seems doubtful. I can well believe that they're vicious enough though.

[HanoiVillan]

6 minutes ago, useless said:

It's probably false, as I can't think why a badger would evolve to have such a function, unless it's some sort of defense left over from the days when they shared the land with predators such as wolves and bears, but even that seems doubtful. I can well believe that they're vicious enough though.

Yeah, it has that 'too neat to be true' feel to it doesn't it.

I remember reading that when elephants look at us, the same part of their brain lights up as in ours when we look at puppies, and I loved that, but I've since read that it's complete bollocks and I found that kind of annoying so I don't think I want a definitive statement that badgers can't be distracted by a snapped twig.

[Xela]

16 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

I've heard this exact claim before as well, but I wonder whether it is true or a myth.

A Swan can break your arm! Ducks and geese not so likely but a swan will snap it like a kit-kat. 

[Mark Albrighton]

What do ducks view geese, swans and the like, as? And vice versa.

By that I mean a duck will see a human or a cat or a fox and it treats it as a potential predator. A duck will see another duck and it’s probably either a rival or a mate. But what does a duck “think” a goose or a swan or a chicken is?

I remember seeing a similar question before, does a cat know it’s a cat and the cognitive scientist who answered said it safe to say a mosquito doesn’t know it’s a mosquito, it just does mosquito things. With a cat it’s harder to say for certain.

[mjmooney]

27 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

What do ducks view geese, swans and the like, as? And vice versa.

By that I mean a duck will see a human or a cat or a fox and it treats it as a potential predator. A duck will see another duck and it’s probably either a rival or a mate. But what does a duck “think” a goose or a swan or a chicken is?

I remember seeing a similar question before, does a cat know it’s a cat and the cognitive scientist who answered said it safe to say a mosquito doesn’t know it’s a mosquito, it just does mosquito things. With a cat it’s harder to say for certain.

Yeah I wonder about that, too. There's a farm field directly opposite our house that frequently has cows, sheep and horses all grazing in it together. 

[tonyh29]

On 27/01/2021 at 12:40, useless said:

Badgers can be quite dangerous, and can be a lot bigger than some realise, I saw a dead one displayed on the side of a road the size of a rottweiler, probably bigger to be honest, only difference was that it had short legs. I've heard that if they bite you they don't let go until they hear a bone snap, so the trick if one of them gets a hold of you is to snap a branch to get them to let go.

The Swedish version of this myth / legend was to carry a crispbread with you to emulate the snap.... personally I’d have just given it to the badger as a present to stop him biting me 

Edited January 28, 2021 by tonyh29

[tonyh29]

1 hour ago, Xela said:

A Swan can break your arm! Ducks and geese not so likely but a swan will snap it like a kit-kat. 

Another myth 

[mjmooney]

1 minute ago, tonyh29 said:

The Swedish version of this myth / legend was to carry a crispbread with you to emulate the snap.... personally I’d have just given it to the badger as a present to stop him biting me 

Only a Swedish badger would eat crispbread. No self-respecting British badger would touch that stuff. 

[limpid]

3 hours ago, Mark Albrighton said:

By that I mean a duck will see a human or a cat or a fox and it treats it as a potential predator. A duck will see another duck and it’s probably either a rival or a mate. But what does a duck “think” a goose or a swan or a chicken is?

They think "hello fellow dinosaur".

[Follyfoot]

4 hours ago, Xela said:

A Swan can break your arm! Ducks and geese not so likely but a swan will snap it like a kit-kat. 

I think I put it up on here before put my Nan killed a swan with a rock cake, It was horrible to watch

[Designer1]

Quote

When you’re down beside the lake you’re bound to hear
When you’re down beside the lake you’re bound to hear
When you’re down beside the lake you’re bound to hear somebody say:
“Careful now, that swan can break your arm”

Lock up your Mountain Bikes - HMHB

[Stevo985]

On 27/01/2021 at 12:40, useless said:

Badgers can be quite dangerous, and can be a lot bigger than some realise,

I saw a live one on one of my trips to Ireland. On the small country lane towards our house he just popped out of a field right in front of the car and bumbled along the road in front of us. Didn't seem bothered by the headlights and car right behind him

He just trotted along in front of us for about 30 seconds and then dived into another field.

BUt yes I can confirm, it was **** massive and way bigger than I expected it to be

[mjmooney]

18 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

saw a live one on one of my trips to Ireland. On the small country lane towards our house he just popped out of a field right in front of the car and bumbled along the road in front of us. Didn't seem bothered by the headlights and car right behind him

Badgers do that all the time, for some reason. I see them quite often round here. 

[bannedfromHandV]

I was pissed up and walking home from town one night a few years ago, I stopped to sit on a bench for a bit and a few minutes later a badger came out of the bushes on the other side of the road, crossed the road and came within 2-3 metres of me before realising I was sat on the bench and then legged it back across the road.

Being pissed added to it but it felt really surreal.

[mjmooney]

50 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said:

I was pissed up and walking home from town one night a few years ago, I stopped to sit on a bench for a bit and a few minutes later a badger came out of the bushes on the other side of the road, crossed the road and came within 2-3 metres of me before realising I was sat on the bench and then legged it back across the road.

Being pissed added to it but it felt really surreal.

I love random encounters with wildlife like that. We were once out for a walk on a holiday up in Alnmouth (NE coast), and a vixen ran across the road, saw us and bolted into the undergrowth. Just behind it, came its cub, pootling along absentmindedly, looking down at the ground. It carried on right up to me until it saw my shoes, stopped dead, and did this funny cartoon-like slow pan upwards, looked me in the eye and did a perfect "Oh, shiiiiiit..." expression. A couple seconds passed, and it unfroze and bolted after its mum. Quite endearing. 

[Tegis]

24 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

and did this funny cartoon-like slow pan upwards

[tonyh29]

39 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

I love random encounters with wildlife like that. We were once out for a walk on a holiday up in Alnmouth (NE coast), and a vixen ran across the road, saw us and bolted into the undergrowth. Just behind it, came its cub, pootling along absentmindedly, looking down at the ground. It carried on right up to me until it saw my shoes, stopped dead, and did this funny cartoon-like slow pan upwards, looked me in the eye and did a perfect "Oh, shiiiiiit..." expression. A couple seconds passed, and it unfroze and bolted after its mum. Quite endearing. 

One of the great things about visiting the In Laws is they live in a rural part of Hungary  , so I'd spend hours each day wandering about the forests ..

I had one where a walked around the corner to be face to face with half a dozen wild boar piglets  ..of course i did the natural thing in that circumstance and put my hand out and started making noises like i was trying to encourage a cat to walk towards me for a stroke ... when Mummy wild boar came crashing out the bushes and started charging towards me  .. Thankfully she aborted the charge once i backed away faster than an Italian tank driver  ... but seems i was quite lucky as it probably would have done me some major damage .

A typical walk would involve encounters with deer, foxes , eagles even found a terrapin in the woods one time  ... Nearly a year since we've been allowed to go visit , man , I miss those days

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by tonyh29